La Cattedrale

Much debate is being held over the origins of the modern Cathedral of San Zeno. The town had been an Episcopal seat since the V century, but the building was consecrated around the XII century. Researchers have not ascertained yet if it was built on a pre-existent "primitive cathedral" or if it was built "ex novo" and, most of all, it was difficult to establish what was the main church in Pistoia in the Lombard times.

The research carried out on the architecture and on some finds have highlighted the possibility that the church might have been raised around the VIII century already, bit its presence has been ascertained since the X century, only. The current outside architectural appearance was defined since the XIII century, only, after the repairs for a fire that had damaged it. Therefore, the cathedral of San Zeno has not a uniform appearance but it is the result of a complex fusion of stiles. The portico of the façade was built and decorated between the XIV and the XV century.
Differently from the façade, the inside of the church underwent numerous works and changes for many centuries. Unfortunately, not all the intuitions were fortunate but in the modern times ancient parishes and churches have often gone through a restructuring that erased their original features. As far as the cathedral is concerned, changes in the lateral chapels an were carried out in the XVI century, while on the basis of the architect Jacopo Lafri's project, the ancient medieval choir was demolished to leave room to a stand.
In the XVIII century, instead, the Chapel of Sant'Jacopo, which was very dear to the citizens of Pistoia, was demolished. Around 1830, finally, some transformations in the presbyteral area were carried out. They substituted the ancient late Mannerist decorations by Lafri with ornaments that recall the neoclassic style of the time. Fortunately, in the sixties, the ancient medieval structure of the Cathedral was recovered as much as possible by removing the vault over the nave and the plasters.